Retractable antenna



Jan. 23, 1951 w. E. scHuMANN, JR

RETRACTABLE ANTENNA Filed Jan. e, 195o- JNVENToR. I Mlzaffz'Sf/fumaum BY a www terior.

Patented `lan. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE RETRACTABLE ANTENNA William E.l Schumann, Jr., New York, N. Y.

Application January 6, 1950, Serial No. 137,197

(Cl. Z50-3 3) 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to radio antennas, and, more particularly, to antennas of the extendable and retractable type adapted for use in connection with craft or'vehicles, such as automobiles, power boats, and the like.

Heretofore Various forms of antennas of the foregoing type have been proposed or used in practice, but have not been found satisfactory because they could be, while in an extended condition, damaged by unauthorized persons. This has frequently occurred when automobiles were parked on the street, and mischievous or malicious persons could not resist the temptation to bend the antenna out of shape. Another difculty has been that the antenna was not properly shielded and protected against inclement weather when in its retracted position; whereby parts thereof corroded or became impaired, thus rendering the antenna inoperative for move-` ment from one position to another.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved antenna arrangement of the foregoing type which is not subject to the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages.

Another object is to provide such an antenna which is simple and compact in construction and can be manufactured in an economical manner.

Another object is to provide such an antenna which is rugged in construction, reliable in operation, and is protected against inclement weather when in its retracted position.

Another object is to provide such an antenna which is adapted to be locked against unauthorized extraction from the exterior of the craft or vehicle.

which is constructed and arranged for controlling extension and retraction thereof from the interior of the craft or vehicle.

Other and further objects will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

In accordance with the invention, the foregoing objects are accomplished by providing an antenna which comprises a tubular casing, an antenna member slidably disposed in the casing, and means for locking the antenna member in a concealed position in the casing. The casing is adapted to be mounted within the craft or vehicle with the upper end of the casing extending through an opening in the body thereof, whereby the locking means are inaccessible from the exextended position, is adapted to be extended by spring means and to be retracted from the interior; and the antenna member carries an element at its upper end which cooperates with the casing to protect the parts within the casing when the antenna is retracted.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the speciiication, wherein: l

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile, with a portion thereof broken away to illustrate the installation of an antenna in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal, sectional View of the antenna shown in Figure 1 with the parts thereof illustrated in retracted position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along the line v 3--3 on Fig. 2, illustrating a device for locking the antenna member in extended position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line line 4 4 on Fig.'2, illustrating a device forlocliing the antenna in retracted position.

Fig. 5 is a .View of the casing partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the antenna member while being moved into an extended position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to Figure l thereof, there is shown, by way of example, an automobile having a radio antenna structure mounted within the rearward portion of the hood compartment or under the cowling with its upper end extending through All terior and are controllable solely from the in-v In a preferred embodiment of the invention, about to be described, the antenna memf an opening at the top of the hood or Cowling. It will be understood that the antenna structure could be similarly mounted on the top of the cabin or pilot house of a power boat or other craft or vehicle.

As illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the antenna structure generally comprises a tubular casing I0, an antenna member l l slidably disposed in the casing, a device I2 for locking the antenna member in extended position (Figure 3), and a device I4 for locking the antenna .member in retracted position (Figure 4).

The casing l li is formed of dielectric or insulating material and has an outwardly extending fla-nge l5 at its upper end and an exteriorly threaded section it adjacent the iiange. The casing, as shown in Fig. 2, extends downwardly through the opening in the top il of the heed ci" ,facing shoulder 2l adjacent its upper end and has a ring 22 threaded into its lower end to provide a shoulder. The side wall of the casing has an aperture 211i below the shoulder 2i and has a slot 25 above the ring 22, the purposes of which will become apparent hereinafter.

The antenna Amember il is iormedwith an annular groove or recess 2S adjacent its lower end and an upwardly facing shoulder 21 above the recess, which shoulder is adapted to cooperate constructed to serve as a cable for retracting this antenna member by pulling the same from the interior of the craft or vehicle.

If desired, the lower end of the casing iii may 5 `be securedor-otherwise connected. tolthe craft er vehicle in which-.it is mounted to add rigidity to its support.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that tlfie\ present invention provides an improved with the shoulder 2l or" the casing to limit'the l0 antenna structure for craft or vehicles which upward movement of the antennamemberr and A to determine the extended position thereorf The antenna member may be in the form of a tube,V as shown, having one or more telescopically r i prohibits extractionfby unauthorized persons or tampering therewith in any manner which may result indamage thereto.

The device is simple and practical in construction, is reliable in oprmeed antenna 1nembers+29 and 3S Slida lSf l5 eration, is easily installed: and is economically manufactured.

mountedfthereon, the innermost memberwhich provides the tipv o f the antenna having a mush room-head shaped member lorthe like thereon. rlhis Alast-V nentioned membeig has adependingn skirt constructed and arranged v to extend o vergQo of the inventionV and about the upper end of the casing .whenthe antenna is in., concealed position., as show rrin` Fig, 2, wherebythe casing and antenna Yarempteotedinclement i.y`eather, sea spray constructionfand arrangementof ftnepartsherel (when used on water craft) and the like, ,to pre- P25 veut corrosion of the internal parts. In casera..A single antenna member is utilized, as rnay be deg. sirable in cert accordance the invention, the member Si:

to the anermay rnemberhil.

The locking device l 2 (Ifigssg and 3) comprises an annular member Se positionedaboutthe casing after the sarneis secured tothe hood top ile in applications oi' the apparat-usm As varioAY A char1 ge s made inthe form,

in. Without der? ne frOmLthe Se* and iriihU-i its advantages, 1t istohbe u'nderst I mettermi@ iQ beilielpfeied.asin, not 11.1 any 'time sense..

meansv mounted onus"- to locksaidvmernber: in a lconcealed;pos'iti said. casing,. rnean s tor operating" said 'detent means lfrom within theI craft or vehicle to release saidfniember, a spring ,for urgingfsaid member and a detent element, such as a bali 3l, seated the aperturergrl and adapted to; be urged by the spring into the recess 2e, when the antenna member isextended to lock thesainein extended pOS-. Lio tended 995151011 ng devicev i4 (Figs. 2 and il comprises clamped about the casing after the rear allthereon.` and andetent element, 15 uppernd m mumaida n fill, as seen atei. The armffii has a projection@ adapted ta .extend through, the slot EE- and linto the recess '2S ,of the antennawhen .the antenna. Y membel ig 1S' 3'1"-5 rem @Ctedmosltlonf as Shown' V5o adapted to extend into said recess to lock said,

A springis shown urgingthe pr j ection iii into Y the aforementioned positionvto positively-lock the mem be appreciated that the antenna members I I and 28 could be formed with radially aligned slotsV andthe antenna member 3G could bey formed with an annular groove adaptedto -beengagedby 55 the locking projection Ml The antenn er il be extended partiallyor entirely (Figo) whenreleased upon `operation the cable f3.3 by mechanical means,-

such as a compressi-on spring 'i having its lower 70 end sup-ported on the shoulder provided by the ring 2?. and havingius upper end engaging the lower end ci the antenna member l i.

A lead-in .wire i9 is connected toY the lower endfof` the :antenna member Il which may b e 75 2,491,529

leaseof Ysaid member., and a Yspring@urged` detent` meinbe mountedon saidpa ingedjacentit's 11pi per end -radmited .t extendfinto vsaid recess to lock said, lidable rneniber. .n outwardlyexwithinthe cra t in saidseasing, and :having al recess acecf loweren d spring...urged detentineans, in

mounted; onZ said, casingadj a cent fits1.r lof. er. end

member7 a Concealedfrcsie Seid .Gesine means `for operating.4 said l d ete'jrjlt means .fircin within the craftl velfiileito.relaY e saidinember, a spring for urging saidmember nto an @utf Wardly- `extendingqpositr upc member, aspring urgeddetent member mount d on saidaSingadjace its upper end .adapted to extendninto-said re ess to loclesaid slidable esition,

slidable member having a depending skirteonstructed and arrangedsto extendpver a' d labout, the upper end of said i, casing .when s aidslidable membenis in anoncealed position,

winni-AM n. serUMAni-i, Je.

The followingfreferences are otrecord inthe nie of this patent: y

UNnED Simfree @TENTS Number Name casing adjacentiV may be connected directlyinstead ofyllndnectly 3o its lows; end @Q @pged Q eXp-ggd: :ipp Seid regge; 

